


As You Wish - A Book of Nile Tale

by Lolo (TheLittleLo)



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: (obligatory I hate here, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Princess Bride, Andy and Quynh get together subplot???, Anybody want a peanut?, Book of Nile, Kid Fic, Multi, No more tags now I mean it!, Pirates, Revenge, So like... this is LOOSELY based on the movie, Sword Fighting, True Love, all the things that are in this movie???, and Kaysanova, anyway, but only in the framing device...., expect a lot of changes, it's probably equal parts, it's the plot of Princess Bride... idk what to tag?, ok, this was forced on me), vaguely a, you know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26365417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleLo/pseuds/Lolo
Summary: Cece Genova-Al Kaysani is home sick, luckily her papa is more than willing to tell her a story to pass the time.The story? Why it's a tale as old as time! It has fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!But above all else it's the story of Nile, and the poor farm boy she fell in love with.
Relationships: Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 132
Kudos: 139





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cece Genova-Al Kaysani is home sick, luckily her papa is more than willing to tell her a story to pass the time.
> 
> The story? Why it's a tale as old as time! It has fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!  
> But above all else it's the story of Nile, and the poor farm boy she fell in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is [scimitar-and-longsword,](https://scimitar-and-longsword.tumblr.com/) if ya feel like following me there/want to send me a prompt <3
> 
> Beta read by [Isa](https://yogurtfordinner.tumblr.com/)

Cece coughed and rolled over in bed. The cold she’d been fighting for nearly a week just refused to give up. Both her throat and head ached. She was feeling mostly better though, especially compared to the previous few days. She was glad to be home from school still, if only for another day or two. 

“Hey, kiddo.”

Cece looked up to find her father standing in the doorway. He gave her a pitying smile.

“Hi dad,” Cece said, sitting up with a dramatic groan. 

Her father laughed softly, walking over to Cece’s bed. He kissed her forehead before putting a hand on it, checking her temperature. 

“You feeling any better?”

“A little bit,” Cece said. “My head still hurts.”

“I’ll get you some water, but you can’t take any more medicine for another hour.”

He grabbed the empty glass off her nightstand and turned to leave. 

“Nicky?” Cece heard echo from somewhere else in the house.

“Sounds like Papa’s home,” Nicky said with a smile before calling back, “I’m in Cece’s room.”

A moment later Cece’s Papa burst into the room.

“Hey, how’s the sicky?” Joe said with a wide smile.

Joe crossed to Nicky in two large quick steps, wrapping him in a deep hug, and kissed him on the cheek.

“A little bit better, according to her,” Nicky said, laughing as Joe peppered his face with kisses.

“My head hurts, I can’t sleep,” Cece said.

Joe bent down and wrapped his arms around his daughter, hugging her tight enough that she made a groan of protestation.

“That bad, huh?” Joe asked, and kissed the top of Cece’s head. “Want some company?”

“Sure,” Cece said with a smile. She’d been bored out of her mind all day.

“I’m sorry,” Nicky said, walking toward the door, “but I have so many papers to grade. I’ll check on you guys in a bit.”

“We’ll be fine, right Cecily?” Joe asked, winking at Cece.

“Right,” Cece said, and Nicky left the room.

Cece leaned her head back against the headboard of her bed and sighed.

“That bad, huh?” Joe asked as he pulled a chair up next to the bed.

“I’ll live, but yeah, kinda,” Cece admitted.

“Want me to tell you a story? Like when you were little?”

Cece laughed, her Papa had a twinkle in his eye that told her the gears in his head were already turning.

“Sure, as long as you’re prepared for it to take a while, I’ve been trying to nap all day.”

“I think you underestimate how boring I can make a story.”

Cece shot him a skeptical glance, and Joe smiled.

“You couldn't make a story boring if your life depended on it,” Cece said.

Her Papa laughed and Cece grinned, making him laugh was one of her favorite pastimes. She thought he was the funniest person on the planet, and it always filled her with pride to see him smile at something she had said or done.

The door opened and Nicky came in again.

“Sorry, here’s your water,” Nicky said as he quickly set the water down next to Cece. “Now I really do have to keep working.”

“Go. We’re fine here, though Cecily doubts my ability to make her fall asleep.”

“If that’s what you need I’d be happy to read you the shitty undergrad papers I’m slogging through.”

“No!” Cece practically shouted.

Nicky laughed, “don’t worry, I wouldn’t subject you to it. I just wish you could save me.”

“Misery loves company, babe.” Joe said, and Nicky groaned.

Joe grabbed Nicky’s hand as he turned to leave and kissed it, which made Nicky smile. Joe laughed and swatted Nicky on the butt, which in turn made Cece blush and turn away from her parents' flirting.

“Speaking of which, our miserable daughter has requested a story, so out.”

Nicky rolled his eyes, “at least one of us will be enjoying themselves. You let me know if you need anything, alright _topolino?_ ”

“I will,” Cece said, and Nicky left the room again.

Joe clapped his hands together.

“So, what should it be? Pirates? Royalty? Fighting? Revenge? True Love? Miracles?”

“Yes,” Cece said. She readjusted her pillow, took a sip of water and got comfortable.

“All of the above, eh?” Joe said with a soft chuckle, “alright, let me see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to formally blame the Book of Nile tumblr group chat for this.
> 
> Also, I swear this a Book of Nile story lol, not that you can tell from this chapter...


	2. I Will Never Love Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nile never intended to be cruel to him, but something about the manner in which Sebastien conducted himself annoyed her. She found him insufferable and charming in equal measure. His refusal to quit drinking and stoic silences particularly bothered her. But Sebastien was also kind to children, especially her younger brother, and he was a hard worker. She could not reconcile the two parts of Sebastien Le Livre with each other, and it seemed he could not either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is [scimitar-and-longsword,](https://scimitar-and-longsword.tumblr.com/) if ya feel like following me there/want to send me a prompt <3
> 
> Beta read by [Isa](https://yogurtfordinner.tumblr.com/)

Nile was raised on a small farm in the country of Florin. Her favorite pastimes were practicing her archery and sparring with the farm boy that worked there. His name was Sebastien, but she never called him that. 

_“Aunt Nile is gonna murder you.”_

_“Not if you don’t snitch on me, now hush.”_

Sebastien Le Livre had come to work on the farm some years prior, after being released from prison where he had served two years on forgery charges. Naturally, Nile had been cautious of him at first, but it didn’t take long for her to see she had nothing to fear but from him but the occasional biting word. 

Nile never intended to be cruel to him, but something about the manner in which Sebastien conducted himself annoyed her. She found him insufferable and charming in equal measure. His refusal to quit drinking and stoic silences particularly bothered her. But Sebastien was also kind to children, especially her younger brother, and he was a hard worker. She could not reconcile the two parts of Sebastien Le Livre with each other, and it seemed he could not either.

As the years passed Nile began to grow fond of Sebastien. She grew fond of his dry wit and the intensity in his grey eyes. He still drank, but his silences gave way to terse conversations, and Nile slowly got to glimpse the depth of Sebastien’s soul.

Nothing gave Nile as much pleasure as being near Sebastien. She would often seek him out without a plan, only to find herself asking the most pointless favors of him. 

“Farm boy. Would you polish my bow for me?”

“Farm boy. Could you fetch water for the horses?”

“Farm boy. Fetch me that pitcher?”

And every time she got the same response.

“As you wish,” Sebastien would reply, gruff and low.

"As you wish" was all he ever said to her when she asked favors of him.

Things happened slowly. Though Nile could point to the first moment she finally noticed that things had changed, she also knew it was the culmination of a thousand moments leading up to that one.

They had been sparring in front of the barn, something they had done every day for years at that point. They were fairly evenly matched. Despite Sebastien’s larger build, Nile knew how to use it against him. That day, Nile had been unusually successful, and had won most of their matches.

“You’re slipping, farm boy,” Nile said, and she offered a hand to help Sebastien up.

He didn't take it, instead rolling to the side to stand up and walk away from her. He fished a flask out of his crumpled pack.

“I wish you wouldn’t drink so much,” Nile said, as she had said to him many times before.

Normally he would scoff at her, or tell her to mind her own business. Instead, that time he nodded to himself and replaced the flask where he’d found it before saying three words, words she’d heard him say so many times before.

“As you wish.”

His voice was quiet. Nile thought for a moment he was going to cry, but he cleared his throat, smiled at her, and left without another word. 

That was the day when she first suspected that when he said "as you wish" to her every whim, what he meant was "I love you."

\---

Nile’s father passed without warning, and her family was thrown into turmoil. Her mother struggled to run the farm on her own, but Nile managed to pick up the slack that was left in her father’s absence. 

Sebastien helped too, more than he had any right to as just a hired hand. He was subtle about it, but Nile noticed the way he would finish his day's work and then double checked with Nile’s mother to see if she needed anything else. Sometimes she did, and Sebastien would do whatever small thing needed to be taken care of. Sometimes Nile’s mother wouldn’t need a thing, but Sebastien often found something to help with anyway. None of the other farm hands did that.

It was in those dark days that Nile realized she truly loved Sebastien back. 

Sebastien and Nile’s brother were tying down bales of hay in the field, while Nile was helping get the horses inside. A storm was moving in fast and the farm was a whirlwind of preparation.

The rain started suddenly, prompting Sebastien and her brother to run into the barn soaked to the bone. Nile picked up a pair of towels, handing one to her brother as he walked by her.

“Sebastien,” Nile called out. She didn’t realize what she had done until she saw Sebastien’s wide eyes, and his back go ridgid.

“You’re soaked,” Nile said. She offered the towel to him and added, “you should dry off.”

“As you wish,” Sebastien replied. His hand brushed hers when he grabbed the towel from her. He rubbed it over his wet hair, his eyes locked with hers the entire time.

She never called him farm boy again.

Things moved quickly after that, sharing laughs as they worked side by side in the field, finding any excuse to spend time together. Their first kiss was stolen behind the barn moments before Nile’s brother rounded the coroner. And while that one was not discovered it did not take long for their relationship to become the worst kept secret of the farm.

Nile assured Sebastien that they didn’t need to move too fast, but despite his demons he felt the need to do right by Nile, and that meant marriage. 

Sebastien had no money for marriage. He was an ex convict and had never been good at saving the money he earned from his work. Until Nile, Sebastien had wasted most of it on booze. So he packed his few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea.

It was a very emotional goodbye for both of them.

_“You mean it was emotional for Booker.”_

_“No, Sebastien. Shhh, you’ll ruin the twist.”_

_“What twist? I’ve known these people my entire life.”_

_“Not THIS version of them.”_

It was a very emotional goodbye for both of them, but mostly Sebastien, who cried like a child.

_“Better?”_

_“Much.”_

“I fear I'll never see you again,” Nile said on the morning of Sebastien’s departure.

Sebastien hugged Nile close and pressed a kiss into her intricately braided hair. He held her close as the sun began its slow rise above the hills.

“You will,” came his simple reply.

“What if something happens to you?” Nile asked when they finally broke apart.

“I will always come back for you, Nile,” Sebastien said with a weak smile. 

“How can you be sure?” Nile asked. A challenge for him to share in her fear and apprehension, if not to sooth it.

“I love you-” Sebastien started. He looked like he wanted to say more, but the words never came. Instead he held Nile’s face in his hands and kissed her reverently.

He turned and started down the road that led away from the farm as soon as he broke away from the kiss. Nile didn’t blame him, though her heart still ached when he disappeared over the hill without turning to show her his face one last time.

Sebastien did not reach his destination. His ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Booker, who never left captives alive. When Nile got the news that Sebastien was murdered-

_“What?”_

_“I thought you already knew the ending.”_

_“Yeah, that was before you murdered my godfather!”_

_“Drama, Cecily, a good story needs drama.”_

When Nile got the news that Sebastien was murdered she went into her room and shut the door. For five days she allowed herself to wallow in her misery. She refused the company of her mother and brother, and barely slept or ate.

On the morning of the sixth day Nile made a vow. She could not live in self pity forever and let the farm she held so dear to her heart waste away around her. Nor could she forget the love she had for her fallen farm boy. So she locked her heart deep inside herself. She locked it away where the pain of loss could not reach her, and where no other soul could hope to reach it again. 

The vow she made that day was this, “I will never love again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Low key trying to shove my love of Gabriel Oak onto Sebastien/Booker lol
> 
> Me: Princess Bride AU!! *throws glitter* This should be easy, just copy the movie and tweak a few things!  
> Me: *Spends three days plotting out a fic which now is an AU within an AU, has three simultaneous plots, folds The Old Guard movie beats into Princess Bride, and is probably way too long....*  
> Me: whoops-


	3. We Dream of Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nile tried to be kind to everyone she met and had luckily made a few friends in the castle. She found supplies hidden under a pile of hay in the stable -a bundle of food from one of the kitchen workers, a bow and quiver from one of her tutors, brown riding pants and a red tunic from them both- and a horse already saddled. She hoped she could someday repay Dizzy and Jay for their kindness, though if luck was on her side she would never see them or the castle again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is [scimitar-and-longsword,](https://scimitar-and-longsword.tumblr.com/) if ya feel like following me there/want to send me a prompt <3
> 
> Beta read by [Isa](https://yogurtfordinner.tumblr.com/)

**Five Years Later**

The main square of Florin City was filled as never before to hear the announcement of the great Prince Merrick's bride-to-be.

Prince Merrick stood on a balcony that overlooked the large city square. He raised a hand and the murmur of the crowd below dwindled.

“My people, a month from now our country will have its 500th anniversary. On that sundown, I shall marry a lady who was once a commoner like yourselves. But perhaps you will not find her common now. Would you like to meet her?”

A cheer erupted from the crowd. 

“My people, the princess Nile.”

Merrick gestured to a small alcove where Nile was meant to be waiting for her introduction. Whispers, first of anticipation, then of confusion, rumbled through the crowd. Nile did not appear. Merrick looked back at his entourage of advisers, but they all looked as confused as he felt.

“Well?” Prince Merrick said, his voice dripping with irritation. “Where is she?”

\---

Nile had no intention of marrying the pompous prince, and she strongly suspected that he had no intention of marrying her either. She had been his prisoner for nearly two years, and in that time he made little to no attempt to court her. She would have thought he had completely forgotten her, locked in her room all alone, had it not been for the weekly visits he made to her chambers.

Merrick would enter, sit across from her and stare into her eyes. Sometimes he would discuss politics of the land, or the impending war with Gilder across the sea, but most of the time he just stared intently at Nile and left without a word.

It had been two long years of not knowing how Merrick had found her or why he had chosen her despite his apparent indifference. Two years of hardly leaving her quarters and certainly never leaving the castle.

On the day that Nile was to be introduced as the future princess of Florin she finally had her chance to escape.

She slipped away from her guards easily enough. It had been a long time since she had last attempted to escape -knowing that trying to leave through the heavily guarded gate or scale down the tall walls would be impossible without help- and the guards no longer watched her as closely.

Nile tried to be kind to everyone she met and had luckily made a few friends in the castle. She found supplies hidden under a pile of hay in the stable -a bundle of food from one of the kitchen workers, a bow and quiver from one of her tutors, brown riding pants and a red tunic from them both- and a horse already saddled. She hoped she could someday repay Dizzy and Jay for their kindness, though if luck was on her side she would never see them or the castle again.

Nile fled through the momentarily unguarded gate -right on schedule- spurring her horse onward, praying she would not need to use her bow. It was not long before she heard the tower bells ringing, and Nile knew she only had mere minutes of a head start on her pursuers.

The horse she rode was strong and fast, and before she knew it Nile saw the shoreline of Florin stretching out before her. She had expected to be stopped by the ocean, but had yet to figure out a plan on how to cross it. However, she did not expect to find three strangers -two men and a woman- staring at her with shocked expressions on their faces. Moored to the shoreline behind them was a smallish sailing ship.

“Nile?” One of the two men exclaimed. His voice was kind and smooth when he added, “your name is Nile, isn’t it?”

His brilliant blue eyes, like deep pools of knowledge, gazed at Nile with a million questions swimming in them. His brown hair fell across his forehead, slightly wet with sweat. He had a sparse beard that accentuated the sharp lines of his jaw.

Something about the way he carried himself made Nile think he was a great knight. A longsword was strapped to his hip, and a bow and quiver to his back. He squared his broad shoulders where he stood in front of the other two strangers, a protector.

Nile was struck by his beauty, because who wouldn’t be-

_“Papa, stop it.”_

_“Why are you laughing? You don’t even know who I’m describing yet.”_

_“You are not subtle.”_

_“Like father, like daughter- I can’t help myself,_ _ya baynati, your father inspires poetry in me.”_

_“Don’t I know it.”_

_“May I continue?”_

_“Yes, just- just keep descriptions of dad to like a sentence- maybe two.”_

_“I’ll try, no promises.”_

He was extremely handsome, but Nile -who was apparently blind- saw nothing of note in his appearance.

“How do you know my name?” Nile asked. Her attention was split between the trio of strangers in front of her and straining to listen for approaching hoofbeats. She couldn’t hear anything yet, but it was only a matter of time.

“He whispers your name,” the mysterious -and absolutely one hundred percent handsome- man answered.

_"Yuck.”_

“Who does?” Nile asked.

“Booker,” the woman in the group spoke up. She had short dark hair and she held an impressive battle axe in one hand. She placed her other hand on the shoulder of the man with the longsword and added, “we need to go.”

The two men were instantly a flurry of motion, carrying crates and supplies onto the boat.

“I don’t know-” Nile started, trying to figure out why that name sounded so familiar- _wait,_ “Booker? The pirate?”

“He keeps a small portrait of you with him. We’ve seen it in our dreams about him, heard him say your name,” the woman said. Her voice betrayed no emotion, but her eyes were sad.

Nile knew the portrait the woman mentioned. She had given in to- it was meant to be something for him to remember her by. Now this pirate had it? Stolen from her love- just as he had stolen her love from her. How did he know her name? And how did this trio of strangers know about her?

“Why are this pirate and I in your dreams?”

“We dream of each other, they stop when we meet,” the third stranger spoke at last. He was dressed in fine leathers and had a scimitar strapped to his back. He had dark curly hair that fell to his shoulders.

“Why? What does that mean?” Nile asked. Her horse shifted uneasily beneath her.

“I believe it’s because we- we’re meant to find each other,” the first man said. He looked like he wanted to add more but his attention shifted to focus behind Nile.

Nile heard it too, the unmistakable sound of horses. She was out of time.

“Get on the boat,” the woman ordered, and tossed her axe to the man with the longsword where he stood on the deck. He caught it and tucked it away out of sight.

“What? No” Nile gave the woman a look of pure indignation- you know the one.

_“I do.”_

The horses were getting closer, and Nile was out of options.

“Me and the two men on that boat will keep you safe,” the woman pleaded, gesturing for Nile to get on the boat.

Nile looked between the boat, the three strangers, and the direction of the approaching thunder of hooves. She had little choice in the matter, return to Merrick or go with these people. 

Nile knew what awaited her with Merrick back in Florin, and these three people knew her name, and possibly knew where to find the man who had taken Sebastien from her.

Seeking revenge sounded better than wasting away in a tower.

Nile dismounted from her horse and ran up the gangplank. She heard her horse make a noise of protest followed by retreating hoofbeats, and when she turned around it was gone.

“I would make myself scarce if I were you,” the man with dark hair and the scimitar said from where he was coiling rope on the other side of the deck. 

Nile ducked behind the railing of the boat and pressed her back against it. She was out of sight just as the noise of pursuing soldiers reached her ears with full force. She was hidden from view but only just so. Anyone who came onto the ship would see her immediately.

The man with the longsword walked up and stood next to where Nile was hidden, his hand rested lazily on the pommel of his sword. He didn’t look at her, but he wore a soft smile that she found reassuring. 

“A word, Sirs,” Nile heard the woman say. “We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby?”

“There is nothing nearby,” Nile recognized the voice as belonging to one of Merrick’s men. “Not for miles.”

“Well in that case I suppose we should take our leave,” the woman said. The man with dark hair stopped coiling rope and straightened up, looking like he was ready for a fight. 

There was a moment of silence and then a voice called out from somewhere down the beach.

“There are tracks leading down the coast.”

There was an uproar of men shouting and horses retreating and then- nothing.

The man with the longsword left his vigil at Nile’s side and began letting out the sails. Nile heard footsteps and the woman appeared next to her. She pulled the gangplank onto the deck of the ship.

“Who are you?” Nile asked. The woman above her was waving at the shoreline with a wry smile.

“Andromache the Scythian,” she said. She glanced down at Nile and added, “but you can call me Andy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I want a strong Princess in the Princess Bride!  
> The Princess Bride: We have one in the movie  
> The one we have in the movie: Princess “I constantly get kidnapped” Buttercup
> 
> Alright… Here’s where I’ve had to start getting creative with the plot… I hope y’all like it!


	4. The Shrieking Eels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sound grew louder as Nile swam until the shrill noise seemed to pierce her brain and forced her to cover her ears. She whirled around in the water trying to place the source of the noise. The man swimming after her was closing in, but he somehow didn’t seem as affected by the screeching.
> 
> “They always grow louder when they’re about to feed on human flesh,” Yusuf shouted. His voice was decidedly less calm than Andy’s when he added, “Nicolo, please!”
> 
> Nile could see Yusuf continuing to shout but she could no longer hear him over the steadily increasing shrieking. A long creature slithered past Nile in the water and its deceptively strong body pushed her harshly to the side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is [scimitar-and-longsword,](https://scimitar-and-longsword.tumblr.com/) if ya feel like following me there/want to send me a prompt <3
> 
> Beta read by [Isa](https://yogurtfordinner.tumblr.com/)

Nile sat with her back to the railing of the boat. It must have been at least an hour since they had left the coast and her pursuers behind, but her rescuers hadn’t spoken a word to her since.

The woman, Andy, finally slumped down next to her and offered her a hunk of bread. Nile took it, she hadn’t eaten anything since that morning and the sky was growing dark, but she didn’t dare take a bite. Leaving with these strangers may have gotten her out of one dangerous situation, but she didn’t know these people and wasn’t about to trust them simply because they let her hide on their boat.

The two men had split off to opposite ends of the boat. The man with the longsword stood at the bow, softly humming to himself and sharpening his sword. The man with the scimitar was sitting at the back, one hand balanced lazily on the tiller. Nile saw him briefly look behind the boat and then up to the other man multiple times before Andy spoke. He kept correcting the boat’s bearing every few minutes.

“We should reach the cliffs across the channel by dawn,” Andy said. She glanced at the still untouched bread in Nile’s hand before adding, “eat, there are much easier ways of killing you out here than poisoning your food.”

Nile took a small bite, but as soon as it hit her stomach she suddenly remembered how hungry she was and ate the rest in three large bites. 

“Yusuf,” Andy said suddenly, and Nile jumped. “Why are you doing that?”

Nile followed Andy’s gaze to the man at the back of the boat -Yusuf, apparently- to find him looking behind the boat once more.

“Are you sure nobody is following us?” He asked, eyes still locked on the horizon.

“I doubt it-” Andy started, but Nile cut her off.

“The prince will see you hanged for helping me,” Nile said simply, she wasn’t sure if she felt guilty for dragging these three into harm’s way or fearful that she would meet the same fate.

Andy laughed dryly.

“Of all the necks on this boat, Highness, the one you should be worrying about is your own.”

Nile stiffened. That sounded like a threat if Nile had ever heard one.

“Andromache,” the man with the longsword -the only person Nile still didn’t have a name for- said quietly. He was looking back at the other man, Yusuf, who was staring behind the boat again.

Andy crossed the deck and stood next to Yusuf.

“A local fisherman?” Andy asked.

“I don’t think so,” Yusuf said. “These are eel-infested waters. Besides, I’ve altered our course multiple times, and still they follow.”

Andy continued to talk in a low serious tone, but Nile set her mind to figuring out what she should do. These three wove pretty words of protecting her, but Andy had just threatened her life, hadn’t she? Even if she hadn’t, Nile would be the death of them if and when whoever was on that boat -most likely Merrick’s men- caught up with them and found her in their company.

Either way, she had to separate herself from them for her own safety if not for theirs. 

Nile squinted into the night, she was fairly certain she could make out the cliffs of Gilder through the foggy night air. They appeared to be sailing along the coast. Andy and Yusuf were still discussing their maybe-pursuer, and the other man had walked to the center of the boat, just past where Nile was sitting. If she was ever going to have a moment, this was it.

Nile dove into the water and began swimming as fast as she could toward the shore. She knew they would be on her as soon as she left the boat. She only hoped that they would deem her not worth the pursuit or that the wind would be against them.

What she didn’t count on was a second splash and simultaneous shouts of “Nicolo,” and “Nicky, don’t!”

Nile could hear someone swimming behind her, and she supposed she had the name of the third stranger now- Nicolo. More concerning than that though was the high pitched wailing that slowly rose from the depths of the water. 

“Do you know what that sound is, Highness?” Andy asked, her voice was exhausted but calm. “Those are the shrieking eels, please come back to the boat.”

The sound grew louder as Nile swam until the shrill noise seemed to pierce her brain and forced her to cover her ears. She whirled around in the water trying to place the source of the noise. The man swimming after her was closing in, but he somehow didn’t seem as affected by the screeching.

“They always grow louder when they’re about to feed on human flesh,” Yusuf shouted. His voice was decidedly less calm than Andy’s when he added, “Nicolo, please!”

Nile could see Yusuf continuing to shout but she could no longer hear him over the steadily increasing shrieking. A long creature slithered past Nile in the water and its deceptively strong body pushed her harshly to the side. 

Nile spun around in the water once more when the shrieking reached new heights and she came face to face with an eel. She could see Nicolo was about to reach her, but he wasn’t fast enough and the eel bit down into her shoulder.

She struggled to free herself, but it was just mere moments before darkness took her and she knew nothing more. 

_“She doesn't get eaten by the eels at this time.”_

_“What?”_

_“The eel doesn't get her. Now, I'm letting you know because you look nervous.”_

_“You’re putting my godmother and father in mortal peril, of course I’m nervous!”_

_“Do you trust me?”_

_“Not to mentally scar your beloved daughter? Honestly, no.”_

_“We can stop now if you want.”_

_“No it’s fine, at least you aren’t overly describing dad anymore.  
_ _Do you know you made it an entire scene without referencing his eyes? I’m proud of you.”_

_“Thank you, I try. May I continue then?”_

_“Please.”_

“Do you know what that sound is, Highness?” Andy asked, her-

_“We passed that, Papa. Do not make me listen to you describe Nile passing out again.”_

_“You think she just passed out?”_

_“What on earth does THAT mean?!”_

Nile’s mind was filled with flashes of movement, swirling colors and sensations that she could not make sense of. She slowly came back to herself and the images whirling in her brain solidified. 

She saw flashes of a man dressed all in black, a mask covering his eyes as he scaled the rigging of a ship. He looked out over the ocean, a ship in the distance seemed to capture his entire attention. His mind was a deep ocean of sorrow.

She felt the oppressive weight of that ocean on her mind, unable to swim or move away from its grip. Then she felt the weight ease and saw the inside of a hovel, papers littering every surface, and another allconsuming feeling came to mind. Longing.

Nile gasped awake, and grabbed at her shoulder. Her tunic was ripped where she remembered being bitten, but she found her skin was whole and she felt no pain. She was sitting in the center of the boat deck, three pairs of eyes stared at her in disbelief. 

“What-” Andy started, but her voice trailed off and she looked at the two men. Both of them were gaping at Nile still.

“What happened to me?” Nile asked, stretching her shoulder. She was still wet, so she could not have been out long. 

Nicolo still appeared to be wet as well. Yusuf was kneeling in front of where he sat, a hand on the other man’s shoulder.

“It’s only been five years,” Andy said, ignoring Nile’s question. She got up from where she was seated on the deck and walked to the bow of the boat. Yusuf watched her the whole way.

“Are you alright?” Nicolo asked.

“I guess, though I’m not sure how,” Nile said absentmindedly stroking her shoulder. 

“What did you see?” Yusuf asked, turning his attention to Nile.

“See? It was nothing, just a bad dream,” Nile said, but Yusuf and Nicolo shared a look that made Nile feel like when she was a child and her parents would talk about her while she was still in the room.

“Tell us,” Nicolo said. His voice wasn’t demanding but rather soft and quiet, like he wanted to help.

“I- I’m not sure,” Nile said, trying to recall the frantic images she had seen. “There was a man dressed all in black. He- he was looking at this boat. He felt alone, utterly alone.”

“Did you see anyone else? A woman with long dark hair?” Yusuf asked.

“No, should I have?”

Yusuf and Nicolo shared another look, but this one was full of sadness.

“No,” Yusuf said finally, and gave Nile a small smile.

“What is happening to me? That eel got me, I should be dead.”

“Yeah, you should be.”

Nile snapped her head sharply to Andy on the other side of the small boat.

“You can’t die, at least not permanently, you’re like us now,” Andy said.

“What?” Nile asked.

“We’re immortal,” Andy said, before sarcastically adding, “and now I guess you are too.”

“That’s impossible,” Nile laughed. She looked back at Nicolo and Yusuf expecting them to share in the joke, but they only looked back at her with pity in their eyes. 

“Alright, let’s say I believe you, why is this happening to me?” Nile asked.

“I wish I knew,” Andy said and looked out at the water, clearly done with the conversation.

Nile's mind was swimming, she couldn’t make sense of anything that was happening. But the longer Nicolo and Yusuf looked at her like that the more Nile felt like Andy wasn’t lying. She couldn’t make sense of it though, so she decided to change the subject.

“She called me Highness before, and just now in the water. You all know who I am -beyond my name, I mean- and you still helped me. Why?” Nile asked.

“You are important to him- to Booker,” Yusuf said.

“And you were in trouble,” Nicolo added.

Nile nodded to herself, but the questions regarding her apparent immortality still hung in the air. 

“It is a lot to understand,” Nicolo said, as if he could read her thoughts. “I think you should get some rest, we have a long climb tomorrow.”

He showed Nile where she could curl up with some well worn blankets and he returned to Yusuf’s side. Nile tried to think about her questions, to try and make sense of them, but her body was crying out for sleep, and though she tried to fight it she was drifting quickly. Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard Nicolo’s voice, he was talking quietly but she could just make out his words.

“Can we trust him, now that Nile is with us?” Nicolo asked.

“He must have known where she was,” Yusuf said, “and we’ve seen him with Merrick. I would feel much better if we could get to the top of the cliffs and meet him there, on more equal footing.”

“Having the advantage of higher ground is not equal footing, Yusuf.”

Nile heard Yusuf laugh, and the two men fell silent for a time.

Just as Nile slipped into unconsciousness she heard Yusuf say, “I think he's getting closer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So- Putting in a bit more of The Old Guard plot than maybe some of you were expecting??? I hope you still like it...


End file.
